In computer graphics, “retained mode” refers to graphics libraries and other layout and/or rendering modules which retain, within one or more data structures distinct from a frame buffer, a complete or near-complete model of objects to be rendered into the frame buffer. Retained mode may be recognized as a style in application programming interfaces (APIs) of retained mode graphics libraries, for example. Calls from a library client made through a retained mode API do not directly cause rendering of pixels into the frame buffer. Instead, the retained mode graphics library updates an internal model, such as list of graphics objects, which is maintained within the library's data space. Retained mode may offer opportunities for the library to exercise control, e.g., to influence when actual rendering into the frame buffer takes place, to influence when the processing of related objects occurs, to manage double buffering, to perform occlusion culling, and/or to transfer to a renderer only data that has been changed from a previous frame. “Immediate mode” refers to an alternative to retained mode. In immediate mode calls to a graphics library cause rendering directly, instead of causing a model data structure update outside the frame buffer(s). However, a given library or graphics module may use both immediate and retained mode approaches, and may provide an API for either or both modes.